Curiousity Killed the Ballet Rat
by DoloresLolitaHaze
Summary: Young Meg gets trapped in the one place she had least expected. EM, possible hints of EC. Based on Leroux book, with hints of the ALW version.
1. Chapter 1: The Forbidden Box

Allright, well, this is my first Phantom of the Opera fic. Um, it's E/M, possible hints of E/C. We'll see -; Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this.

**Disclaimer: If I owned Phantom of the Opera, I wouldn't be writing fanfics... Erik's not mine, Meg's not mine. They're not mine, okay? ; A few random chorus girls may be though!**

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"Meg! Meg, you got a letter!" Little Jammes voice peeped out immediately after the corps de ballet entered their dormitories. All the girls' exhausted expression switching immediately when they heard the news of Meg's letter."Meg, come look!" Gasps and chatting could be heard as the girls crowded around the letter. The last one to approache was Meg herself. Timidly, she stepped forward and with a slight shaking hand, took the letter.

The envelope was sealed with red wax bearing the image of a skull. A frown creased the girl's forehead as she timidly opened the sort of weighted envelope.

_Mademoiselle Giry,_

_I suggest you keep a better hold of your belongings before they fall into the wrong hands._

_O.G._

With a small shake, a silver, glittering chain tumbled out onto the girl's bed, the dormitories erupting in screams and squeals. It was difficult to tell if the ballerinas were fearful or excited.

"Meg! The Phantom! He gave you a necklace!" One of the youngest of the girls gasped.

"No, no... You see, I lost this. He was only returning it to me." Meg protested.

"None the less!" An overly excited squeal interrupted, "The Opera Ghost! He must've been here!" That statement alone caused many wide eyes to scan the room quickly, hoping to catch a glipse.

"Perhaps, the Phantom has fallen for Marguerite!" An older girl taunted, bursting into a nasally laugh as she nudged her friend. The thought made Meg shake her head wildly and sent a shiver down her spine. "Imagine! Love with a ghost!"

"Can he even-..." A burnette girl started curiously, not needing to finish because she already sent all the girls into little fits of giggles. All except Meg.

"Michelle!" Meg gasped, trying to hush her friend, her cheeks now a bright pink colour.

"No, really! I mean, if he's a ghost..." Michelle began again.

"Well, he sounds like a man!" A younger girl chimed in.

"Yes, he sounds like it! But does he-..."

"Michelle, enough!" All the talk made poor Meg curl onto her bed in embaressment. "The Phantom does not love me, he's simply polite and wished to return my necklace. That's all!" Ignoring the rest of the gossiping and chatting, she reached back and clasped the delicate chain back around her neck with a defiant pout.

Talk like that continued for quite a while. Talk of Meg and the Opera Ghost's secret relationship. The ballet rats couldn't seem to drop the idea of the two together. Darkness meets innocence, they'd say. They would follow her, making sure she did not sneak off with her precious Phantom. This lasted for nearly a week before they finally came to a decision; let Meg and the Opera Ghost spent some alone time together. Of course, their idea of alone time between the two was locked poor Meg into Box Five.

The girls kept silent about their plan all day. This seem to strike Meg as something a little odd, but because they did not mention her 'darling Phantom', she decided to ignore it. It wasn't untill later when she realized something was very off. Two of the older girls led a blindfolded Meg up the stairs towards the infamous Box Five.

"So, what do you need to show me?" Meg's soft voice rang out, breaking the silence. Quickly, she felt an index finger push against her lips to silence her.

"Shh," The girl hushed, "It's a surprise." Her voice was a whisper, only out of fear of that Phantom finding and getting upset at them. "But, you must stay quiet." Meg gave a simple nod, staying silence as the girls led her further up the stairs. Finally, they came to a stop.

"Allright," The other girl said, whispering as well, "Just open the door and take off the blindfold." She instructed, bringing Meg's small hand to the doorknob. "Your surprise is inside."

Silently, the blonde dancer turned the knob and stepped inside with the delicate grace of a swan. The door gave an almost familiar sounding creak. A shiver shot down her spine. Something felt odd about this place. Behind her, the door slammed shut, causing the girl to jump and lightly gasp. She could hear faint giggles and the sound of a key turning and locking the door. Immediately, her hands shot up and ripped away the blindfold, her body whipping around to face the shut door.

"Have fun, Marguerite!" She heard a voice say from behind the door.

"Yes, tell the Phantom we said hello!" Another voice said before Meg could hear their footsteps quickly pitter pattering away.

After a few useless attempts to wiggle open the doorknob, a wide-eyed Meg whipped back around and looked around her surroundings. It didn't take long for the young dancer to recognize the deep crimson curtain, the high position at which she could see the stage. Her pale blue eyes went even wider, her mouth falling open stupidly, looking like a fish out of water. Memories from when she was just a child, following her mother around the Opera House flooded back to her. Her mother was the only one to take care of this certain box. The box the ballet rats did not dare near.

Box Five.

If the pit would have been practicing, dramatic music probably would have cued to match the frightened girl's expression. Another icy chill ran down her back, causing her to shake helplessly.

_Oh, what have I gotten myself into? Mother would be so furious if she found out where I was! The forbidden box!_

So, with nowhere else to go, young Meg Giry slowly stepped forward, peering around the seemingly empty Box Five. Without a sound, the frightened dancer sat herself in one of the cushioned seats and looked around as the awkward silence rang in her ears. The silence was quickly broken.

"Mademoiselle Giry..." A smooth, yet masculine voice behind her began calmly, "You, of all people, should know not to be in _this_ box."

Hmm.. Wonder who that could be? ;;; All it takes is one little review and I shall update, mmkay? I just want to be sure it's read by somebody!


	2. Chapter 2: Listening Closely

**Oh my! I did not expect so many to review so kindly! So, in responce to the quick review, here's a quick update! **

**ante mortem - Oh, I love EM too! However, I don't know what kind of dirty thoughts you're getting from Meg and Erik in the box together... hehehe!**

**lolomonster - Oh, I'm just this could be your first EM story! I hope you enjoy it!**

**Dernhelm - I'm going, I'm going!**

**artgem04 - Oh my! I'm going, dear!**

**Kiwi Anime - Finally, an actual critic. Well, to a degree. I'm glad somebody can point out the bad though.**

**girl wandering - Thank you! Oh, I started reading your fic.. I adore it! You write beautifully!**

**Siren26 - I'm glad you're enjoying it! We gotta get you caught up on the names! Hehe!**

**kidarock - Aren't cliffies the worst? Hehe, but hey, got you to review, didn't it?**

**Josh - I love you too, honey. I'm glad you like it. 3**

**Disclaimer: Phantom of the Opera is not mine. I wish it was... le sigh**

**Let's get this show on the road!**

**----------Chapter Two: Listening Closely**

"Mademoiselle Giry..." A smooth, yet masculine voice behind her began calmly, "You, of all people, should know not to be in _this_ box.

The sudden voice caused the young dancer to literally jump out of the red, velvet seat. When Meg went to turn her small shoulders to face the voice, a force pushed down on her shoulders, not allowing her to turn and pushing her back into the seat.When she lowered her head to see what was holding her down, she saw a hand on each shoulder. Both hands covered with black, leather gloves. The leather felt very cold against her already goosebumps arms. After a moment, the cold hands finally slid off her shoulders with an odd feeling of gentleness.

It did not take another word from the voice to make the little ballerina's mind to process what was going on. This was _his_ box. Only he was to sit in this seat.

"A-.. are you.." The stammering girl did not need to continue, he knew exactly what she was going to ask. Yet, he also knew that she already knew the answer.

"Yes." The silky voice stated, sounding as if he was whispering straight into her ear, though he wasn't. The voice held an odd smooth sound of a professional singer, yet also a seductively rough sound at the same time.

"Y-.. you're the-.. O-o-.." Meg's words processed perfectly in her mind, but when she tried to get them out she sounded like a frightened child. Which is what she truely was.

"Opera Ghost?" The voice helped. If the ballerina could see his face, she was sure there would be an amused smirk painted across his face.

Without another attempt of small talk or even an answer, Meg leaped from her seat and whipped around with an odd sense of courage to face the Ghost. However, when she turned, nothing was there. Though not a soul was there, the voice could still be heard.

"Mademoiselle Giry... Who locked you in here?"

"Lisette and Amelie, Monsieur... One's red-headed and the other-.."

"I've seen them.. I see most everything in my Opera House."

"Why did you want to know?" The dancer said timidly, her eyes lowering to the floor.

"Curiousity's sake. Surely, you'd understand that, Little Meg." The voice was almost playful in it's tone. "Why did they lock you here?"

"Well, they believe I am with the Phantom of the Opera..." Meg's voice still held such a tone of disbelief, even after quite some time.

"Really now, you make it seem like such a dreadful thing." The hushed voice whispered to her, causing the girl to shiver slightly. Not out of fear but due to the breath tingling her neck.

"I'm sorry, Monsieur, I-.."

"Mademoiselle." It said shortly, cutting off the girl's speech.

"Yes, Monsieur..?"

"Go back to the other Ballet Rats."

"But-." She brought her hands towards her chest with a slight pout. While it seemed queer, the dancer wished to stay. She wished to see the thing behind the voice. Even if that thing could possibly be her biggest fear. But, that voice.. so calming and beautiful. It couldn't possibly be that of which belonged to anything frightening.

"Leave." It once again

While Meg did not need to be told once more, however, she stayed there. "I am locked in, monsi-.." Before she could finish the sentence, the door slowly creaked it's way open.

"Go and do not speak of what this." While the demands were rather calm ones, it sent the young girl quickly pitter pattering out. The second she was fully out of the Phantom's box, the door slammed to a shut.

Yet, this would not be the last time little Meg Giry was to come in such close contact with the Phantom of the Opera.

_At the dormitories _

"Oh! Was he hideous?"

"I told you I could not see his face!"

Questions and stories of Meg's adventure in Box Five floated around the ballet dormitories. Meg sat on her bed with an upset look while the girls crowded around her. Nearly all the girls seemed to be chatting around Meg's bed. Aside from two specific young ladies.

"Did he threaten you?" One of the younger ballerinas asked fearfully, her eyes wide in fear.

"No, Robyn, he just told me to leave..." Meg reassured the younger girl with a small smile and she seemed to calm a little.

"You did not see his face, hm? How do you know it was the Opera Ghost? Perhaps somebody had played a trick on you?"

"It must've been him! Who else would dare go near Box Five?" The blonde dancer said with slight disbelief in her own voice.

"Was he even upset?" Michelle asked sheepishly, her green eyes still wide at the thought of speaking so directly to the Ghost.

"Not really, he-.." The sound of the dormitory door bursted open interrupted Meg's speaking. In rushed the two girls who Meg recognized immediately. Amelie and Lisette. The girls who had locked her into Box Five. Before Meg could say a word, they immediately burst into speech, both in tears.

"The Phantom, we saw him!" They both cried, clinging to each other. Both of them had skin as white as parchment.

"You saw the Ghost too?" Robyn's eyes went even wider. The girl rambled about how they had not only been threatened by the Opera Ghost, but had seen him as well. Meg's story now hardly seemed believable to most of the girls. She had barely spoken to and had not even seen him.

"Oh, Lisette, he told us not to tell!" Amelie cried, clutching her friend's arm fearfully.

"Amelie, he will not know." Lisette said, in hopes of reassuring her frantic friend.

"He will know, though." A voice finally piped up. The voice of meek little Meg Giry.

"Oh, you hush, Marguerite!" Lisette hissed angrily at the blonde.

"No, truely. He hears everything. He'll know you told." Meg's soft voice now came out as threatening as it's quietness allowed. "The Opera Ghost does not like when we speak of him like this!"

"But, Meg!" Little Jammes began, her voice shaking fearfully. "You, as well speak of him!"

"Yes, perhaps more than anyone!" Michelle added, nodding to the other chorus girls.

Truthfully enough, the blonde Ballet Rat could not deny it. The Phantom told her not to speak of what had happened and she did. She told the whole dormitory of his cold hands and chilling voice. Surely, he would not be to upset. Besides, he probably hadn't heard anyway.

However, Little Meg Giry did not seem to realize that the Opera Ghost did indeed have his ways.

She could not notice the ear pressed against the opposite side of the corps de ballet dormitory wall, listening intently to each word that spilled out of each little ballerina's lips.

**Oh, I do like leaving mystery, don't I? Well? Liked it? Hated it? Please review! And I PROMISE, Meg and Erik will not be so.. distant next time. XD;;**

**Kitty!**


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